Aug 24, 2018 | Airlines, American, Departments, Featured, Home, Organizing, The Association
Brothers and Sisters,
The Association Executive leadership met with American Airlines management this week to push through the tough Fleet Service Scope issues and proposals we have exchanged. Your committee was initially pleased when the Company’s Chief Negotiator offered to include protection for all of the fleet work currently performed at the 40 fleet service stations.
When the Association committee began to engage the offer, the Company negotiators abruptly reversed course, denied the offer they made and insisted that health care and wages be agreed to before they would agree to any further scope discussions.
This highly erratic behavior by senior level company negotiators is so unusual that it creates an aura of distrust over any of our ongoing negotiations. We are left to wonder what other issues the company may reverse course on.
While the company has publically dangled the carrot of more in wages and other vague benefits, in reality, none of what they say has been agreed to by them. It is the unequivocal position of the Association that the work we perform must be protected because the pay and benefit smoke and mirrors have no meaning without the job protection we need to guarantee our futures at American Airlines.
The truth of our current state of negotiations is that the Association is ready to discuss all of our outstanding Scope issues and proposals, but the Company negotiators refuse to proceed. They insist that work done TODAY, in every Association represented classification, should not be guaranteed in our contracts. Their position is that we should agree to concede work we do TODAY.
Our membership suffered the bankruptcies to pay for the survival of our airlines. We bring to the table the work we do today from those bankruptcy contracts. American Airlines, the largest airline in the world, is healthy and boasts that it will be profitable as far as anyone can see into the future. To demand that we concede work we do TODAY is nothing but an insult to every Association represented worker.
The time to fight for our jobs is now. Our futures depend on it.
Fraternally,
Your Association Executive Negotiating Committee
Aug 10, 2018 | Airlines, American, Departments, Featured, Home, Organizing, The Association
Brothers and Sisters,
The Association Executive Negotiating Committee met with American Airlines this week in Washington, D.C. to continue the discussion about Scope proposals. Your Executive Committee presented the company with comprehensive proposals. The Association proposals are reasonable and recognize the sacrifices our members have collectively made through our company’s bankruptcies by securing our work into the future.
Our members deserve nothing less!
All of our responses to the company continue to fall on deaf ears!
Management continues to disrespect our members hard earned stake in this company by blatantly disregarding our attempts to come to fair and equitable Scope agreements for all classifications. With each passing negotiating session, the company’s negotiating committee’s disregard for our membership has become more apparent. They continue to ignore the contributions our members have made to help them become the most profitable airline in the world.
The company’s negotiating committee continues to make proposals that contradict what their Chairman and CEO Doug Parker and President Robert Isom have publicly promised our members from the beginning of negotiations. In stark contrast, American’s proposal will eliminate 2,500 AMT jobs, not include facilities maintenance work protections and allows the outsourcing of almost any fleet service work.
The company must know that our members will remain strong and united; that you will not waver in the protection of your scope and the jobs of all of our members!
Fraternally,
Your Association Executive Negotiating Committee
Jul 26, 2018 | Airlines, American, Featured, Home, The Association
Brothers and Sisters,
The Association Executive Negotiating Committee met with American Airlines on July 24th in Washington, D.C. to continue the discussion about comprehensive Scope proposals.
During this session, it became very obvious to your committee that the company isn’t hearing your displeasure about their previous Scope proposals. While there was some movement for our M&R group, their strategy on Fleet continues to be presenting us with inadequate Scope language and hoping for a different outcome.
They assume that by waiting us out our Association will eventually crack and accept their substandard proposals. If we were to agree to some of what is on the table, it would essentially leave our members back in the days of bankruptcy. No matter what you hear, without protecting our work, nothing else matters and we cannot waver in our resolve for a successful outcome.
The company continues to allege that they would like to come to a quick and equitable resolution to these negotiations, but their proposals continue to say otherwise.
Now, more than ever, our members need to let the company know that we remain unified and willing to fight for the best contract in the industry.
Fraternally,
Your Association Executive Negotiating Committee
Jul 18, 2018 | Airlines, American, Home, The Association
Brothers and Sisters,
As was reported earlier, the Association Executive Negotiating Committee met with American Airlines June 25th through June 27th in Washington, DC. During those meetings, your committee and the company made some progress in Scope discussions and it was agreed that the company would deliver a comprehensive Scope proposal prior to our next meeting on July 17th.
THEY DID NOT!
Disappointingly, American failed to keep their word and deliver a counter on Scope. Instead, the company again insisted on cuts to Association members’ healthcare; a proposal equivalent to a “bankruptcy healthcare” plan in a time of extraordinary profits. No discussions were held on other important economic issues.
American Airlines management believes that this Association will cave in on the most important elements of our joint collective bargaining agreements.
WE WILL NOT!
The company continues to publicly claim that they want to finish these negotiations, but their actions behind closed doors at the bargaining table say otherwise and their rhetoric is a blatant attempt to divide us.
Providing access to the best plans for all Association members would increase the company’s total costs by just one-tenth of one percent (0.1%). This is a miniscule amount compared to the enormous profits —$2.4 billion in 2017— that we help generate.
Our members must let the company know that our Association will continue to remain strong and unified, and will not acquiesce to the company’s substandard demands.
Stay strong and tell the company you will not cave.
Fraternally,
Your Association Executive Negotiating Committee
Jun 14, 2018 | Airlines, American, Home
Brothers and Sisters,
Association negotiators met with American Airlines Monday and Tuesday this week. The purpose of the meetings was to discuss minor, but important open issues. Some progress was made, but American remains unreasonable by not settling issues they should be able to agree to. The Company’s public statements that they desire to conclude these negotiations continues to contradict their behavior at the bargaining table.
Association negotiators tested the possibility of moving into the major open issues during this session. While no agreements were reached, some meaningful dialogue was had over the important areas in the Association scope of work positions.
It is important to report that the Company remains firm in their economic demands by insisting we accept their inferior healthcare, retirement, profit sharing, wage and scope proposals. Your support is both appreciated and necessary to convince the Company they should respect their employees who have made it the largest and most profitable airline in history.
The Association demands American Airlines stop wasting everyone’s time negotiating by video and in break rooms and to get back to the bargaining table.
Fraternally,
Your Association Negotiating Committee
Jun 8, 2018 | Airlines, American, Home, The Association
Brothers and Sisters,
On behalf of the members of the TWU-IAM Association, we would like to extend our enthusiastic support for the Aircraft Maintenance Offshoring Bill, federal legislation that would support US aircraft maintenance workers. This bill is intended to draw attention to the airline industry-wide trend of offshoring aircraft maintenance.
“The TWU-IAM Association believes the offshoring of this maintenance work creates serious security issues and job concerns,” said Association Chair and Vice Chair Alex Garcia and Sito Pantoja respectively. “These jobs should be performed by American workers on American soil, not at foreign repair stations where FAA and US security oversight is lacking.”
The bill will do two things to draw attention to the issue: First, it would require airlines to disclose next to each flight for sale, on confirmation information, and boarding passes, the city and country and date in which the aircraft intended to fly a particular flight last underwent heavy maintenance. Secondly, it would require airlines to include on their website the cities and countries in which their fleet has undergone heavy maintenance in the last five years and the cities/countries in which the airline holds a contract for heavy maintenance.
“This bill will provide the necessary safeguards that will help ensure that all passengers have access to where and when their aircraft was serviced,” added Garcia and Pantoja. “We urge all members of Congress to support this bill and pass these strong reforms.”
This bill will be introduced today by Senator McCaskill and Representatives Garamendi (D-CA) and Donovan (R-NY).
Fraternally,
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Alex Garcia
TWU International Executive Vice President
TWU/IAM Association Director
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Sito Pantoja
IAM General Vice President
TWU/IAM Association Vice Director
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